Ragans History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England
• Ireland

Etymology of Ragans

Irish surnames are linked to the long Gaelic heritage of the Island nation. The original Gaelic form of the name Ragans is Ó Riagain. In County Waterford, the Gaelic form Ó Reagain is used.

Early Origins of the Ragans family

Early History of the Ragans family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ragans research. Another 137 words (10 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early Ragans History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ragans Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland in the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. The standardized literary languages of today were not yet reached. Research into the name Ragans revealed spelling variations, including Reagan, Regan, O'Regan, O'Reagan and others.

Early Notables of the Ragans family

More information is included under the topic Early Ragans Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ragans family

Irish families began leaving their homeland for North America in the late 18th century. These families were usually modestly well off, but they were looking forward to owning and working on a sizable tract of land of their own. This pattern of emigration continued until the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine sparked a major exodus of destitute and desperate Irish people. These people were not leaving for a grant of land in North America because by this time the East Coast had reached its saturation point and free land was scarce. They were merely looking to escape the disease, starvation, and hopelessness that Ireland had fallen into. Although these unfortunate immigrants did not receive a warm welcome by the established populations in the United States and what would become Canada, they were absolutely critical to the rapid development that these two nations enjoyed. They would help populate the western lands and provide the cheap labor required for a rapid industrialization. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many early bearers of the name Ragans or one of its variants: John Regan, who settled with his wife and three children in Prescott, Ontario, Canada, in 1825; James, John, Patrick, Thomas and William O'Regan, who all arrived at Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.